Fiorentina lost 3-2 at the Franchi against Lech Poznan, interrupted their streak after 14 matches but reached the semifinals of the Conference League thanks to the 4-1 obtained in the first leg.
A success that should have guaranteed the Viola a relatively calm approach to the match, instead the Polish formation, in a nervous match marked by a disputed refereeing, made Italiano and his boys suffer, reaching 3-0 halfway through the second half and therefore into extra time to the delight of the more than two thousand fans in tow.
But in the final Sottil, with his first goal of the season, and Castrovilli, in recovery, made their coach and the Viola breathe a sigh of relief.
And so Fiorentina finds a European semi-final after that of 2014-15 in the Europa League lost against Sevilla.
ANSA. it
Conference League: Fiorentina-Lech Poznan 2-3 - Football
Goals: pt 9' Sousa;
st 20' Velde (pen), 24' Sobiech, 33' Sottil, 47' Castrovilli (ANSA)
The Viola team started with six substitutions compared to the last championship draw 1-1 with Atalanta: in defense in front of Terracciano Igor, Biraghi and Venuti (for Dodò) returned, in midfield due to the absence of Amrabat there was room for Mandragora, Barak and Bonaventira while forward Jovic was preferred to Cabral, with Nico Gonzalez and Sottil in support.
In Lech Poznan, supported by over two thousand fans, Ishak started from the bench: in attack the couple Velde-Sobiach with Sousa behind.
The latter broke the deadlock after just 9 minutes, taking advantage of a mistake by Venuti.
Uphill start for the violas, as Italiano feared on the eve, also because the Poles played aggressive, also resorting to a few too many roughnesses,
tolerated by the Slovenian Obrenovic who has infuriated Fiorentina and its coach on several occasions.
Like in the 17th minute when Sobiech elbowed Milenkovic: the Poznan player only managed with a yellow card.
And in the 28th minute when Nico Gonzalez (who later returned to the field with his head in a bandage) had the worst after contact in the area with Czerwinski who had already been booked and risked expulsion for a subsequent foul on Sottil: the Viola invoked the penalty and the Polish coach immediately replaced his player by inserting Pereira.
Tense half-time finale, with some lunges from the home team especially with the unfair yellow card remedied by Milenkovic who, warned, will miss the semifinal against the winner between Nice and Basel.
However, the situation precipitated for Fiorentina especially in the second half when after a sensational wasted opportunity by Jovic (disappointing return) Poznan went through again with Velde on a penalty awarded after review by the Var for a Terzic-Skoras contact.
The Poles charged even more and stamped the trio shortly thereafter with Sobiech.
Viola gelati and everything to be redone, Italiano also included Cabral and Castrovilli and gritting his teeth his team turned forward in search of the goal that would have given the semifinal.
Goal that came with Sottil in the final with a right-footed volley followed by Castrovilli's double in recovery, which after the great fear made the Viola explode with joy.